Yes, Jon Jones is one of the more impressive young fighters in recent UFC history. But he’s still got more tests to pass before he is considered the best in the world.

That’s according to UFC president Dana White, who told ESPN’s “MMA Live” that Jones’ bout with Vladimir Matyushenko Sunday at “UFC on Versus 2: Jones vs. Matyushenko” will grant him “top eight” status in the light-heavyweight division.

Meanwhile, it’s Matyushenko’s job to put a roadblock in Jones’ fast ascent, and in doing so, earn what could be the biggest upset of his career.

UFC on Versus 2 takes place Sunday at the San Diego Sports Arena in California and airs live on Versus.

At 23 years old, Jones has established a deep foothold in the 205-pound class with victories over Andre Gusmao, Stephan Bonnar, Jake O’Brien and Brandon Vera. (A fight with Matt Hamill this past December was ruled a disqualification due to an illegal elbow he threw, but the fight widely is considered a victory.)

The New York native solidified his next-big-thing status when he knocked Bonnar down – and took an amazed UFC matchmaker Joe Silva out of his chair – with a spinning elbow off a caught kick at UFC 94 in January 2009.

Since then, Jones’ career has been about managing expectations. Most recently, he destroyed longtime standout Vera at UFC on Versus 1 in March, which prompted many fans to call for a fight with title implications. Instead, he was paired with Matyushenko, a veteran with a long string of victories by smothering ground and pound. Although many observers rolled their eyes at the matchup, the soft-spoken Jones said he didn’t mind a slow rise up the light-heavyweight ladder. After all, his hot-commodity status made it a tough sell for marquee and would-be opponents who have less to gain and more to lose by fighting him.

“I don’t think it’s not the right fight,” Jones told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) about the matchup. “My job is to be the best mixed martial artist there is in the world. That’s my goal, and I’m ready to take out any style and any strengths and weaknesses. It’s nothing personal with me and, I’m just looking to get better. Whoever they give me I’ll always say yes.”

White said Jones needs another year and a handful of fights before a contender spot is warranted.

“He’s not very close yet (to the top of the division),” White told ESPN’s weekly MMA news program. “The kid obviously have potential. He’s got a tough fight against [Matyushenko], and then I think he’s ready to start breaking in to the top of the heap, the top eight guys in the world.”

Jones recently took up residence with famed trainers Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn in Albuquerque, N.M., to bolster his fight IQ and broaden his array of sparring partners. He took up MMA in 2008 after his friends turned him on to the UFC and he began working with Team BombSquad in upstate New York after reaching out to its head trainer, Ryan Ciatoli, with a Myspace message. He was a junior-college wrestling champion at Iowa Central Community college, and he thought the sport could provide for his family far better than his $50-a-night bouncing job he held in the wake of his college career.

Early on, he used YouTube clips to supplement his training and developed a taste for high-risk kickboxing techniques such as the spinning elbow.

“Instead of playing videogames like most guys my age, I got on the computer, and I studied,” Jones said. “I’ve been taught to fight by some of the best fighters in the world.”

Jones (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) might have received video instruction from Matyushenko (24-4 MMA, 5-2 UFC) at one point. The Belarusian fighter took on a laundry list of top fighters in the early days of the Zuffa LLC-owned UFC and once met then-champion Tito Ortiz for the light-heavyweight belt. He fell short on points at the fight, held at UFC 33, and was cut from the promotion after a knockout loss to Andrei Arlovski, who went on to become the UFC heavyweight champion.

Matyushenko went on a tear outside the octagon and went undefeated for eight fights and nearly five years. He was an early signee of the International Fight League and held its heavyweight crown until the team-based fight promotion folded shop in 2008. He returned to the UFC octagon in the wake of Affliction Entertainment’s collapse in 2009.

The no-nonsense Belarusian made his debut in September 1997 by winning three consecutive fights at an IFC tournament and is about as indifferent as you can get about the Jones hype train.

“You know, media people can say whatever they want,” Matyushenko said. “My job is here. Experience definitely makes a difference, and it’s not only certain moves I know; it’s just experience and preparation for the fight – how to train, how to deal with injuries, (and) how to come up in the best shape you can be. That’s what I’ve been doing because otherwise experience doesn’t do [anything] if you cannot use it in the fight.

“I can’t make my reach longer or be taller; that’s for sure. But I know I can come up with the best shape in my life, and (I’m) trying to be the best I can be there.”

There’s no secret about what “The Janitor” will do in the fight; he’ll do everything in his power to put Jones on his back and grind him out with punches and elbows. Jones has never been tested by a fighter with his caliber of ground and pound, and if he can catch the red-hot prospect as distance closes, he’ll drive for the clinch, body-lock and trip takedown. Many fighters have fallen prey to the same routine.

Jones, meanwhile, will look to keep the fight standing and pick Matyushenko apart from range. He’s got a decided edge in speed and ability to keep opponents off-balance with the high-risk techniques for which he’s become known. The clinch undoubtedly will be an important battleground for him. He will attempt to counter trips with upper-body throws and make sure to land on top if the fight goes to the ground. His wrestling-based opponent is not a fan of the position and could be in big trouble with elbows flying at a fast and furious pace.

When it comes to the middleweight division’s pecking order, it appears that there’s more at stake for Munoz. After a disastrous octagon debut at UFC 96 in which he fought at 205 pounds and was knocked out by a head kick from Matt Hamill, “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” dropped to 185 pounds and rebuilt himself this year with victories over Ryan Jensen and Kendall Grove. During the Grove fight, Munoz caught an uppercut that nearly knocked him out cold, but he managed to survive and return the favor in round two before stopping the fight with brutal ground and pound.

Once a protege of former WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber – he made his big-show debut and fought in the lighter-weighted promotion twice before its light-heavyweight division was shut down – Munoz moved to Southern California in September 2008 and bounced around before opening his own gym. An impressive roster of up-and-comers and veterans now works with him on a regular basis.

Okami long has been known an opponent few fighters want to meet. A huge middleweight with smothering top control, the Japanese fighter got within spitting distance of a middleweight title shot after he out-toughed four consecutive opponents. He fell short of his dream of winning a belt against then-champion Rich Franklin but has since torn through all but one of five opponents. (Current top contender Chael Sonnen outworked him at UFC 104).

Okami is the only current UFC fighter with a win over middleweight champion Anderson Silva, though his setbacks took some of the luster off that accomplishment, which was earned by disqualification. It’s unclear what he wins with a victory over Munoz – with the exception of more career stability.

Munoz likely will try to copy Sonnen’s successful plan and keep Okami on his heels with busy striking. If that happens, Okami will be on his counter-punching game and looking for a takedown, where he can punish Munoz from up top.

In other action, rising welterweights John Howard (14-4 MMA, 4-0 UFC) and Jake Ellenberger (22-5 MMA, 1-1 UFC) fight their way toward the middle of the division pack, and Takanori Gomi (31-6 MMA, 0-1 UFC) attempts to erase memories of a promotional-debut loss to Kenny Florian when he meets Tyson Griffin (14-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC), who’s also on the mend after Evan Dunham routed him at UFC 115.

As the UFC 189 tour made its last stop in Dublin, featherweight champ Jose Aldo was met with a torrent of abuse from the Irish fans. It might have been unpleasant, but it might also have been just what he needed.